Leading Change: Ferguson Commission

Leading Change: Ferguson Commission

Founded last November following an executive order from Governor Jay Nixon in response to the Ferguson protests, the Ferguson Commission issued 189 unflinching calls to action on Sept. 14 to aimed at mending St. Louis’ racial and economic disparities. Led by co-chairs Rev. Starsky Wilson and Rich McClure, the commission’s work calls on St. Louis to be honest about its reality and lists 47 priorities gathered under the headings “Justice for All,” “Opportunity to Thrive,” “Youth at the Center” and “Racial Equity.” Among those calls to action: revising use-of-force-policies for police, ending predatory lending, developing trauma-informed schools and engaging the faith community in the racial equity mission.

Rev. Starsky Wilson and Rich McClure, Co-chairs

The focus now for the commission, which officially dissolves Dec. 31, is implementation—the recommendations are not bound into being by court order. At the time of press, it was searching for an intermediary to help continue the momentum, as well as gearing up for recruitment by “continuing to talk to citizens and say, ‘There are 189 recommendations here. There are three that could change your life, and we invite you to get directly involved in those,’” says Wilson.